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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. band — a music group
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — in cards
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. staff — employees
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. hand — help
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. root — the cause
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. band — a ring
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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