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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. root — the cause
  4. bound — obliged
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bore — to tire
  8. court — of law
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bound — tied together
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. root — of a word
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. bore — to drill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. court — for sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bound — certain
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. court — of a king

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