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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — the cause
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. root — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pound — a weight
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. scale — in music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. scale — size or range
  17. vault — a safe
  18. root — of a word

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