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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. root — of a plant
  3. object — to protest
  4. land — ground
  5. object — an aim
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. root — of a word
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. object — a thing
  12. bark — to shout
  13. present — a gift
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rock — a stone
  18. root — the cause
  19. present — the time now
  20. land — a country
  21. band — a music group
  22. present — there
  23. land — to come down
  24. rock — music

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