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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rock — a stone
  9. foot — a measure
  10. firm — a company
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. firm — steady
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — decided
  18. root — of a word
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. foot — part of the body

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