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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bank — for money
  17. march — the month
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. march — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bark — of a tree

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