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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pound — a weight
  7. squash — to crush
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — to be able to
  11. root — of a word
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. file — a document
  14. stock — shares
  15. root — the cause
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lean — thin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stock — goods
  23. vault — a safe
  24. can — a tin

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