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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pit — a hole
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. root — of a plant
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wake — a trail
  10. deal — to handle
  11. root — the cause
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. root — of a word
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. toast — bread
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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