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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. root — of a word
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chest — a box
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bound — certain
  21. rock — music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chest — of your body

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