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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. root — of a word
  6. rule — government
  7. cue — a hint
  8. root — the cause
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. bark — to shout
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — a subject
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rule — a law
  22. mate — to breed
  23. field — for sport
  24. mate — a partner

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