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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: ruler · rock · wave · prune · root · mine · bound · court

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bound — certain
  5. mine — for digging
  6. court — of law
  7. root — the cause
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. root — of a plant
  12. court — for sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — a stone
  15. prune — to trim
  16. court — of a king
  17. root — of a word
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rock — music

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