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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: mouse · pop · fork · date · pound · bass · calf · root

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bass — the fish
  7. date — the fruit
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. bass — low music
  11. pop — music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. root — of a word
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pop — soda

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