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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: bowl · bound · root · jam · pitch · lie · fine · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lie — to recline
  6. row — a line
  7. bound — tied together
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fine — high quality
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fine — all right
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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