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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. drill — the tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. field — a subject
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bark — to shout
  9. scale — in music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. root — the cause
  12. drill — army training
  13. can — a tin
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. drill — a practice
  17. can — to be able to
  18. root — of a word
  19. field — farmland
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com