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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. object — an aim
  5. rock — music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — to protest
  16. drill — a practice
  17. file — a tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. object — a thing
  20. kid — child
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. file — a document
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — a weight

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