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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pop — soda
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. current — electric
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — happening now
  12. root — of a word
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — to visit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — of water
  22. pop — music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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