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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 116 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. scale — in music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. drill — a practice
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a word
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. root — the cause
  24. drill — army training

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