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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. row — to paddle
  3. root — of a word
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pop — music
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. tube — the underground
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pop — soda
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pop — to visit
  20. row — a line
  21. deal — to handle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tube — a container

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