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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: ruler · bear · root · foot · bulb · pound · press · wound

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. root — of a word
  8. bear — the animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — for light
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — to push
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. foot — a measure
  20. root — the cause
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. press — newspapers
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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