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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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468
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: game · mug · root · bear · drill · racket · pound · fine

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — army training
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fine — high quality
  6. game — a match
  7. root — the cause
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fine — all right
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — a face
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. drill — the tool
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — a practice
  24. racket — a loud noise

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