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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — of law
  10. present — there
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — of a king
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mark — a grade
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. hand — help
  20. court — for sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pound — for dogs

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