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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — in music
  5. root — the cause
  6. roll — a list
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. key — the most important part
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spell — letters
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. rest — a break
  15. spell — magic
  16. roll — a cake
  17. spell — a short time
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pound — a weight
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spring — of water
  22. rest — what's left
  23. sharp — clever
  24. roll — on a roll

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