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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: root · pound · ruler · march · cap · present · spell · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. spell — magic
  5. march — the month
  6. present — a gift
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spell — a short time
  10. march — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. root — of a word
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spell — letters
  17. cap — a hat
  18. present — the time now
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — a thing
  21. present — there
  22. march — the month
  23. object — an aim
  24. ruler — for measuring

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