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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. craft — boats
  4. pound — a weight
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mug — a face
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. key — for a lock
  11. root — of a word
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mug — a cup
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — the cause
  17. spell — magic
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. spell — letters
  20. key — in music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. key — the most important part
  23. root — of a plant
  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