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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · game · bound · toast · root · scale · rush · fan

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. root — of a word
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. scale — size or range
  11. root — the cause
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — to hurry

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