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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. net — for catching
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bound — certain
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bound — tied together
  8. net — after costs
  9. board — to get on
  10. net — in sport
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bound — obliged
  13. root — the cause
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. board — a committee
  17. root — of a word
  18. wound — an injury

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