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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. root — of a plant
  4. object — a thing
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spring — of water
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cue — a signal
  14. object — to protest
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. root — the cause
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fine — all right
  20. squash — to crush
  21. root — of a word
  22. spring — the season
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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