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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. can — to be able to
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. court — for sport
  6. root — the cause
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. scale — size or range
  14. root — of a word
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. court — of a king
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. court — of law
  24. can — a tin

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