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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. last — to go on
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. band — a ring
  11. chip — for betting
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. root — of a word
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. band — a music group
  17. rest — a break
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. root — the cause
  24. spring — a coil

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