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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. track — a song
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ground — the earth
  6. drill — army training
  7. cell — in biology
  8. root — of a word
  9. fine — all right
  10. ground — a position
  11. root — of a plant
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bass — low music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — certain
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bass — the fish
  24. drill — the tool

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