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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: tear · pound · lie · root · object · can · bound · pitch

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tear — from crying
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. can — to be able to
  14. object — a thing
  15. lie — to recline
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. object — an aim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — the cause
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bound — certain
  24. tear — to rip

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