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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: stick · root · cap · ground · dip · pound · date · sharp

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ground — a position
  11. root — the cause
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ground — crushed
  15. date — the fruit
  16. root — of a word
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pound — a weight
  23. sharp — clever
  24. dip — to dunk

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