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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rule — government
  4. rash — a series
  5. pound — a weight
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. root — of a word
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rule — a law
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stand — on your feet
  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