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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 120 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: last · root · bark · suit · pound · perch · saw · pit

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. root — the cause
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bark — to shout
  8. last — finally
  9. suit — to fit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — a hole
  12. suit — clothes
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pit — in a race
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pound — a weight
  20. root — of a word
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. last — to go on
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. saw — the tool

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