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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. game — a match
  8. root — of a word
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. root — the cause
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bass — low music

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