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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. current — happening now
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. root — of a word
  13. current — electric
  14. pop — soda
  15. root — the cause
  16. capital — money
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fine — all right
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pop — music
  23. current — of water
  24. capital — a city

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