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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. root — the cause
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pop — soda
  7. court — of a king
  8. shower — to wash
  9. root — of a word
  10. court — of law
  11. pop — to visit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pop — music
  14. court — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rest — a break
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bank — for money
  24. bark — of a tree

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