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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. can — a tin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mine — for digging
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. squash — the sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bound — certain
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. can — to be able to
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — the cause
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. squash — the vegetable

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