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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. game — a match
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bank — for money
  10. tube — a container
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a word
  14. bank — of a river
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. bank — for money
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — the cause

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