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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — in music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wind — moving air
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. root — of a plant
  17. scale — size or range
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pound — a weight
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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