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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 address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. scale — in music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — certain
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. last — final
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ball — a dance
  13. last — to go on
  14. root — of a plant
  15. row — a line
  16. last — finally
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ball — a great time
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bound — tied together
  22. root — of a word
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wake — before a funeral

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