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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. root — of a plant
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stem — to come from
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. squash — to crush
  20. root — of a word
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. stem — of a plant

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