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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. file — a line of people
  3. root — the cause
  4. file — a tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cap — a hat
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cap — of ice
  12. board — to get on
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. board — a committee
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. file — a document
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rash — a series
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. arm — part of the body

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