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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bore — to drill
  5. press — to push
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. root — of a word
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bore — to tire
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. root — the cause
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — to cool the air

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