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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. root — of a word
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — the cause
  6. object — a thing
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. file — a document
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. bark — to shout
  14. file — a tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. net — for catching
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. object — to protest
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. net — after costs

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