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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 120 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. root — of a plant
  8. scale — in music
  9. row — a line
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. scale — size or range
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. root — the cause

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