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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. root — the cause
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — of a word
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — thin
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. dip — a sauce

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