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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bass — the fish
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. firm — a company
  9. root — the cause
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bark — to shout
  14. club — a group
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. firm — decided
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. staff — employees
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. firm — steady
  24. staff — a stick

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