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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lie — to recline
  3. scale — size or range
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — of a word
  7. last — finally
  8. scale — in music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. net — after costs
  12. last — final
  13. present — the time now
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. net — in sport
  16. last — to go on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. present — there
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — a gift

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