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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · mark · calf · ground · mate · root · pound · wake

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. root — of a word
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mark — a trace
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ground — a position
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — a grade
  24. calf — a young 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