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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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
Word bank
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. scale — in music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — of a word
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fall — the season
  12. kid — child
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  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