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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rock — music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. game — a match
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chip — for betting
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. root — of a word
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bound — certain

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