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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bound — obliged
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pop — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — to trim
  12. swing — music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. root — the cause
  15. pop — soda
  16. root — of a plant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — certain
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pop — to visit

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