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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. spring — a coil
  3. net — for catching
  4. spring — the season
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. can — a tin
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — to be able to
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spring — of water
  16. roll — a list
  17. can — a tin
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pound — a weight
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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