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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: foot · row · ground · bear · chip · bound · root · swing

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bound — certain
  6. chip — to eat
  7. root — the cause
  8. swing — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bound — obliged
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. foot — a measure

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