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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. current — happening now
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. current — of water
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. root — of a word
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — in a race
  21. current — electric
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fine — high quality

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