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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 116 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: suit · snap · key · pound · object · hide · root · march

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. march — music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. root — of a word
  12. object — an aim
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — of a plant
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. object — a thing
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — a weight
  23. root — the cause
  24. pound — to hit hard

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