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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bound — certain
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. row — to paddle
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — obliged
  15. roll — a list
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — tied together
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mine — for digging
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. roll — a cake

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