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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rash — hasty
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. root — of a word
  24. mate — a friend

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