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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pound — a weight
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. key — the most important part
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. root — of a word
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. root — of a plant
  17. squash — the sport
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — in music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. branch — a division
  24. root — the cause

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