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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — to fit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. root — the cause
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — obliged
  11. root — of a word
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — clothes
  14. key — in music
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bound — certain

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