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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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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 · deal · band · swing · bound · bay · root · staff

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bound — certain
  4. band — a music group
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bound — obliged
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bound — tied together
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. swing — music
  20. band — a ring
  21. swing — in golf
  22. root — of a word
  23. staff — employees
  24. root — the cause

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