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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. drill — army training
  6. root — of a word
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. drill — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. root — the cause
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stock — shares
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. root — of a plant

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