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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. object — an aim
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bark — to shout
  5. object — a thing
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chip — to eat
  9. root — the cause
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. band — a ring
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. root — of a word
  19. chip — for betting
  20. object — to protest
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. band — a music group
  24. ball — a great time

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