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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: sharp · foot · root · bound · fork · wind · pop · bear

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bound — tied together
  8. root — of a word
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fork — in a road
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bound — obliged
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. bound — certain
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. sharp — clever

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