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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. suit — to fit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. suit — clothes
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — the fish
  11. branch — a division
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. root — of a word
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. march — music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — a position
  23. suit — in cards
  24. track — a path

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