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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cell — a phone
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cold — an illness
  10. board — to get on
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. root — of a word
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. board — a committee

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