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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. root — of a plant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — a weight
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. field — for sport
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. toast — bread
  15. wound — an injury
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wound — an injury
  20. field — farmland
  21. snap — to click
  22. can — to be able to
  23. field — a subject
  24. jam — a tight spot

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