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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. toast — bread
  3. object — an aim
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — for golf
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fall — the season
  11. rest — a break
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. club — a group
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. object — to protest
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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