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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — the earth
  3. track — a song
  4. rest — a break
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — to keep track
  9. root — the cause
  10. shower — to wash
  11. charge — electricity
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bark — to shout
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. root — of a word
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. track — a path
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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