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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: land · stick · can · leaves · pound · season · root · drill

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — of the year
  5. land — a country
  6. drill — a practice
  7. can — to be able to
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pound — a weight
  10. can — a tin
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. land — ground
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. land — to come down
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. can — a tin

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