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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rush — hurry
  20. root — the cause
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. root — of a word

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