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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. land — ground
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — to shout
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. root — the cause
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pass — a permit
  23. root — of a word
  24. scale — in 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