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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — in control
  3. pop — to visit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — a weight
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — a measure
  8. kick — in football
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. root — of a word
  13. pop — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pop — soda
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. foot — the bottom

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