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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. spell — letters
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. spell — magic
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. board — to get on
  10. row — a line
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. row — to paddle
  16. root — of a word
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. root — the cause
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. march — the month

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