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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — a trail
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mark — a trace
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. root — the cause
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — all right
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. coach — a trainer

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