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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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. root — the cause
  3. last — finally
  4. firm — decided
  5. wind — moving air
  6. board — to get on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. root — of a plant
  12. last — final
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bore — to tire
  15. root — of a word
  16. firm — steady
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. last — to go on
  23. toast — bread
  24. board — a committee

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