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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: rush · pop · bear · pound · march · arm · root · present

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bear — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pop — to visit
  8. march — music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — music
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pop — soda
  14. march — the month
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rush — hurry
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. pound — a weight
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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