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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: root · hide · snap · foot · scale · pound · bark · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — of a word
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. root — of a plant
  8. snap — to click
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bark — to shout
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. root — the cause
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — there

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