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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · safe · cue · root · pass · march

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. march — the month
  3. cue — a signal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cue — for pool
  7. root — of a word
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — a permit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — 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