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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bound — obliged
  4. field — a subject
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. root — of a word
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. root — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a music group
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — certain
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. root — the cause
  23. field — for sport
  24. sharp — clever

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