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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. object — an aim
  8. root — of a plant
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — in sport
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — the cause
  18. object — to protest
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. object — a thing
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. row — a line
  24. mouse — the animal

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