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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. bound — certain
  6. pop — to visit
  7. present — a gift
  8. root — the cause
  9. present — there
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wake — a trail
  13. present — the time now
  14. ball — a great time
  15. object — to protest
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ball — a dance
  24. object — a thing

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