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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. race — the arms race
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — clothes
  14. race — a contest
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. march — music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. race — humankind
  24. calf — of the leg

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