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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. root — of a word
  4. present — there
  5. rest — a break
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ground — crushed
  10. present — the time now
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bound — certain
  17. ground — a position
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fine — all right
  21. mark — a trace
  22. present — a gift
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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