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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 116 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 ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bass — the fish
  6. land — ground
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. root — the cause
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bass — low music
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. root — of a word
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. land — a country

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