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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. root — of a word
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — a group
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rest — what's left
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — of a plant
  22. toast — bread
  23. root — the cause
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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