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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. root — of a word
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — thin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. court — for sport
  12. craft — boats
  13. court — of law
  14. lean — to bend
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. root — of a plant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. court — of a king
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — a skill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — the cause
  24. sharp — with an edge

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