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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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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: root · mark · face · bound · roll · leaves · firm · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. firm — steady
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bound — certain
  11. face — to confront
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. root — of a word
  14. face — to point toward
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. root — the cause
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. root — of a plant
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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