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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bound — certain
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. land — to come down
  12. foot — a measure
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. deal — to handle
  17. land — a country
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bound — obliged
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. foot — the bottom

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