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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cell — in biology
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. field — farmland
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cell — a phone
  15. field — a subject
  16. court — of law
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. field — for sport
  22. bark — to shout
  23. court — for sport
  24. root — of a word

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