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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pound — a weight
  3. root — of a word
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. root — the cause
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bound — tied together
  18. staff — employees
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bound — certain
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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