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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: pit · toast · bear · snap · root · pitcher · sharp · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. sharp — clever
  8. root — of a word
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. toast — bread
  12. root — of a plant
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pit — in a race
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bear — the animal

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