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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. root — the cause
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. key — the most important part
  8. game — a match
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. club — for golf
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — in music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — a group
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. root — of a word

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