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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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. snap — to click
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — the tool
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. suit — in cards
  10. root — of a word
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cue — a signal
  14. branch — a division
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pound — a weight

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