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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. court — for sport
  10. current — of water
  11. wound — an injury
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. last — to go on
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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