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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: bay · lean · root · race · staff · racket · pound · mouse

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — employees
  4. race — humankind
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. race — a contest
  7. pound — a weight
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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