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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pop — soda
  4. root — the cause
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mark — a grade
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — an aim
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pop — music
  20. object — to protest
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. object — a thing
  24. straw — dry grass

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