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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · bound · club · march · root · wound · racket · cap

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wound — an injury
  3. root — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. root — of a word
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. club — for golf
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — the cause
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — certain
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cap — a lid
  23. club — a group
  24. cap — of ice

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