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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. pop — soda
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pound — a weight
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — to visit
  14. swing — in golf
  15. band — a music group
  16. root — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pop — music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pound — to hit hard

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