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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: pitcher · rest · wound · hand · root · chip · bound · club

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — what's left
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for golf
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. hand — help
  19. rest — a break
  20. club — a group
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. root — of a word
  24. pitcher — a jug

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