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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: nail · bound · root · chip · squash · roll · rock · court

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — for sport
  3. root — the cause
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. court — of a king
  11. chip — to eat
  12. root — of a word
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bound — obliged
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — certain
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bound — tied together
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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