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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: row · fall · root · lie · club · mug · sharp · pound

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pound — a weight
  5. sharp — clever
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — a line
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. root — of a word
  14. club — a group
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fall — the season
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mug — to rob
  22. root — the cause
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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