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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: pit · pound · bat · ruler · hide · root · track · row

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. track — a path
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pound — a weight
  8. root — of a word
  9. row — a line
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — to keep track
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a song
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bat — the animal

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