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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. band — a music group
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. tear — from crying
  7. swing — to play on
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. track — a path
  12. swing — music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. root — the cause
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. swing — in golf
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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