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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. row — a line
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. root — of a plant
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. game — a match
  11. root — the cause
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. game — wild animals
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — of a word
  23. toast — bread
  24. nail — on a finger

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