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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. last — final
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bass — the fish
  12. last — to go on
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — a weight
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mate — a friend
  18. root — of a word
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. last — finally
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stand — for spectators

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