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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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 plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. root — of a word
  19. chip — to eat
  20. root — the cause
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chip — for betting

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