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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. root — of a word
  3. cold — not warm
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a song
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — the cause
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. root — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — certain
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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