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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rest — a break
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fine — all right
  15. rest — what's left
  16. root — of a word
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic

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