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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — low music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. root — of a word
  15. bass — the fish
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a trace
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tear — from crying
  24. root — the cause

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