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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: root · can · stick · patient · pound · march · fine · bark

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. can — a tin
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. root — of a word
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. root — the cause
  14. march — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — to shout
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fine — high quality
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fine — all right

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