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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. root — of a word
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bound — obliged
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ground — crushed
  9. root — the cause
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — certain
  12. ground — a position
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bass — low music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. toast — bread
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bass — the instrument

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