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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. drill — army training
  11. ball — a great time
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cap — a lid
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — a weight
  17. drill — the tool
  18. root — the cause
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cap — of ice
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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