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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. scale — size or range
  9. root — the cause
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bore — to tire
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wax — to grow
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wax — in the ear

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