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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. root — of a word
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. club — a group
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. staff — employees
  19. root — of a plant
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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