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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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Word bank
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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 · object · tear · root · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. root — of a word
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. root — of a plant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. object — an aim
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. tear — from crying
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. object — a thing
  12. tear — to rip
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — a weight
  15. object — to protest
  16. root — the cause
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. safe — out of danger

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