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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bound — tied together
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — of a word
  11. bass — the fish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — a position
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bound — certain
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pound — a weight
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. root — the cause
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — low music

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