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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: object · pit · bound · wound · pop · roll · wind · root

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — obliged
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pop — soda
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — music
  9. object — to protest
  10. bound — certain
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pop — to visit
  15. roll — a list
  16. pit — a hole
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. object — an aim
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wind — to turn a key

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