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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: bay · cue · pound · root · date · foot · staff · saw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. date — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — the cause
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cue — a signal
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cue — for pool
  18. root — of a word
  19. cue — a hint
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — for dogs

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