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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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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: root · scale · pound · fork · board · last · mug · arm

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. root — of a word
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. root — of a plant
  12. last — to go on
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mug — a cup
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. board — to get on
  18. root — the cause
  19. fork — in a road
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pound — a weight
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. board — a committee

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