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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bound — certain
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bound — obliged
  8. foot — a measure
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. root — of a word
  13. board — to get on
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stock — goods
  20. board — a committee
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. track — a song
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — a path

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