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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. net — after costs
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. root — of a word
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. root — the cause
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. net — for catching
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bore — to drill
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. net — in sport
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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