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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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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: kid · root · press · ball · straw · track · trunk · pound

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — a song
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. root — of a word
  9. press — to push
  10. track — a path
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. root — the cause
  15. kid — child
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ball — a great time
  23. kid — to tease
  24. track — to keep track

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