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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: drill · object · root · rash · pound · ruler · toast · pitch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — a weight
  4. object — an aim
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. toast — bread
  9. root — of a plant
  10. drill — army training
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rash — a series
  17. object — to protest
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. object — a thing

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