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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: cell · root · wake · rash · pitcher · bore · pound · swing

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cell — in biology
  15. root — the cause
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wake — a trail
  22. swing — music
  23. root — of a word
  24. rash — a series

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