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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — low music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. track — a song
  10. root — the cause
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bass — the fish
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. track — to keep track
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. root — of a word
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bass — the instrument

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