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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rule — a law
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. board — to get on
  7. bark — to shout
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. season — in sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rule — government
  16. root — the cause
  17. rash — a series
  18. season — of the year
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. root — of a word
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pitcher — a jug

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