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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. firm — a company
  4. charge — in control
  5. root — of a plant
  6. field — a subject
  7. root — of a word
  8. charge — a price
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. field — farmland
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bore — to drill
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bore — to tire
  17. sharp — clever
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — the cause
  24. field — for sport

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