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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · drill · arm · calf · saw · bound · court · march

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — the cause
  3. drill — army training
  4. root — of a word
  5. bound — obliged
  6. march — music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bound — tied together
  9. march — the month
  10. drill — the tool
  11. court — for sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. drill — a practice
  14. court — of law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. court — of a king
  21. bound — certain
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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