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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.

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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. band — a ring
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. key — in music
  12. root — the cause
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. press — to push
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. band — a music group
  22. deal — to handle
  23. root — of a word
  24. press — newspapers

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