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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pop — music
  5. fall — the season
  6. present — the time now
  7. root — of a word
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pop — to visit
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. root — the cause
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. tear — to rip
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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