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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — army training
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fork — in a road
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. root — the cause
  14. kick — in football
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pound — for dogs

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