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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: court · pop · bound · track · hide · root · scale · club

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. track — a song
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. court — of law
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. court — of a king
  10. pop — music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. root — the cause
  14. pop — to visit
  15. club — a group
  16. root — of a word
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pop — soda
  21. court — for sport
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. scale — for weighing

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