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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. key — in music
  3. root — the cause
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wind — moving air
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. game — a match
  8. wind — moving air
  9. key — for a lock
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. track — a path
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — a weight
  17. key — the most important part
  18. branch — a division
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. track — to keep track
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pound — to hit hard

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