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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 116 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: ball · bound · pitcher · snap · cabinet · wind · root · land

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. root — of a plant
  5. land — a country
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a dance
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. land — to come down
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. land — ground
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. root — of a word
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wind — moving air

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