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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. root — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. game — a match
  10. bound — obliged
  11. firm — decided
  12. bank — for money
  13. firm — steady
  14. root — of a word
  15. bound — certain
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. game — wild animals
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bank — of a river
  22. root — the cause
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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