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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: can · root · tube · pound · roll · sharp · mug · board

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mug — a face
  3. pound — a weight
  4. board — a committee
  5. can — to be able to
  6. root — the cause
  7. roll — a list
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mug — to rob
  11. root — of a word
  12. board — to get on
  13. tube — the underground
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mug — a cup
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — of a plant
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tube — a container
  24. pound — to hit hard

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