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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. root — of a plant
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. current — happening now
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. pound — a weight
  8. game — a match
  9. pop — to visit
  10. current — of water
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. root — the cause
  15. foot — a measure
  16. game — wild animals
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pop — soda
  20. root — of a word
  21. pop — music
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. game — a kind of play

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