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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: pitcher · land · pound · dip · root · stick · fork · wake

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — a trail
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fork — in a road
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. root — of a word
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. land — ground
  13. root — the cause
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. pound — a weight
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pound — for dogs

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