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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. present — the time now
  4. root — of a word
  5. squash — the sport
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — a subject
  12. root — the cause
  13. pound — a weight
  14. present — a gift
  15. field — for sport
  16. drill — army training
  17. present — there
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. field — farmland

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