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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — the cause
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bound — certain
  15. ground — a position
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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