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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. root — of a word
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mug — a face
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — to go on
  12. swing — music
  13. root — the cause
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. last — finally
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mug — to rob
  24. last — final

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