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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: pound · season · root · foot · bark · dip · suit · pitcher

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. root — the cause
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. season — in sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. season — of the year
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. suit — clothes

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