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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. charge — in control
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — a price
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wax — to grow
  10. charge — electricity
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. root — the cause
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. stock — goods
  24. wax — for sculpting

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