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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. root — of a plant
  3. drill — army training
  4. root — the cause
  5. bound — certain
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bound — obliged
  8. club — a group
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — of a word
  13. bound — tied together
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. drill — the tool
  18. content — happy
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — for dancing
  21. content — the amount
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. drill — a practice
  24. content — videos and posts

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