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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 120 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: root · tear · racket · bound · bowl · snap · saw · pitcher

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. root — of a word
  3. snap — to click
  4. bound — certain
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tear — to rip
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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