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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pit — a hole
  8. drill — a practice
  9. root — of a word
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cap — a hat
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. drill — army training
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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