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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: march · root · arm · nail · pound · key · ruler · deal

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. key — in music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. march — music
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — the month
  19. deal — to handle
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. deal — an agreement

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