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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. drill — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. present — the time now
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — a gift
  12. branch — a division
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. drill — a practice
  18. root — of a word
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — army training
  24. branch — of a tree

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