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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: bat · march · calf · dip · wake · root · stand · pound

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. root — of a word
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — the month
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. root — the cause
  15. march — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pound — a weight
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stand — to bear
  20. march — the month
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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