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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. root — the cause
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — of water
  6. bound — tied together
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. can — to be able to
  9. charge — a price
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — certain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a word
  14. charge — in control
  15. spring — the season
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spring — a coil
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. clip — for paper
  23. charge — electricity
  24. root — of a plant

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