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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — obliged
  3. march — music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bound — certain
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rest — what's left
  18. scale — size or range
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — a break

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