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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: pound · face · roll · stick · stand · mark · root · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — a trace
  3. roll — a list
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rock — music
  10. root — the cause
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pound — a weight
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. root — of a word
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rock — a stone
  22. roll — a cake
  23. root — of a plant
  24. roll — on a roll

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