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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a word
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cue — a hint
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. swing — music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. chest — a box
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. chest — of your body
  16. row — a line
  17. bark — to shout
  18. chest — of your body
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pound — a weight

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