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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bound — tied together
  3. root — of a plant
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rock — a stone
  8. field — farmland
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rock — music
  15. root — of a word
  16. fine — high quality
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bound — certain
  21. hand — in cards
  22. root — the cause
  23. hand — help
  24. fine — all right

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