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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: row · pitcher · bound · foot · tube · root · leaves · scale

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. row — a line
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. root — of a plant
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — size or range
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. root — of a word
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. root — the cause
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — the underground
  22. foot — a measure
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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