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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · lean · roll · root · mate · scale · bark · pound

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bark — to shout
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. root — the cause
  13. scale — in music
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. root — of a word
  17. lean — thin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. roll — a list
  24. lean — to bend

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