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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: scale · pound · ground · temple · mug · dip · fork · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. scale — size or range
  6. root — the cause
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mug — to rob
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ground — a position
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. root — of a plant

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