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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. pound — a weight
  7. firm — a company
  8. game — a match
  9. firm — decided
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — steady
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — of a plant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. root — of a word
  24. lie — to recline

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