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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pound — a weight
  3. kid — to tease
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. root — the cause
  6. present — there
  7. root — of a plant
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. present — a gift
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mate — a partner
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. craft — a skill
  16. kid — child
  17. present — the time now
  18. roll — a list
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. roll — a cake
  21. root — of a word
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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