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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rash — a series
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pound — a weight
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a plant
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fork — in a road
  14. root — the cause
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fall — the season
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — of a word
  24. fan — to cool the air

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