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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bound — certain
  3. root — of a word
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mate — a friend
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mate — a partner
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bound — tied together
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pit — a hole

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