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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rock — a stone
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ground — a position
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rock — music
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bound — obliged
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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