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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. fork — in a road
  16. root — of a plant
  17. shower — to wash
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tube — the underground

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