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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bound — certain
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — a subject
  11. pop — to visit
  12. field — for sport
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pop — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — to shout
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. bass — low music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — the fish
  24. field — farmland

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