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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 124 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. root — of a word
  4. firm — steady
  5. root — the cause
  6. firm — decided
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — a company
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wind — moving air
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bark — to shout
  24. drill — army training

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