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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.

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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: can · deal · club · drill · tear · suit · bound · root

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bound — certain
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — to fit
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. tear — from crying
  11. can — a tin
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — a practice
  14. root — of a word
  15. drill — army training
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — the tool
  18. club — a group
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tear — to rip

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