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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. root — the cause
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — the time now
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. current — happening now
  10. bat — the animal
  11. present — there
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. present — a gift
  14. hand — in cards
  15. root — of a word
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — help
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hand — part of the body

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