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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chest — a box
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. root — of a word
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fork — in a road

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