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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. root — of a word
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bark — to shout
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. root — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — to push
  24. stock — shares

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