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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. track — a path
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — a group
  12. spell — magic
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. club — for golf
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. bark — to shout
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. club — for dancing
  24. track — a song

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