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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hand — in cards
  3. shower — rain
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — a hint
  7. swing — music
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — to wash
  11. craft — boats
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. root — of a word
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. root — the cause

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