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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. root — of a word
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — the cause
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kid — child
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. racket — a loud noise

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