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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: pound · row · land · root · jam · date · lean · firm

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. root — the cause
  3. firm — decided
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. land — to come down
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. root — of a plant
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lean — thin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — to bend
  14. row — a line
  15. land — ground
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. root — of a word
  21. pound — a weight
  22. land — a country
  23. row — to paddle
  24. date — the fruit

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