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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.

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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: chest · bound · mate · root · row · rush · saw · pitch

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rush — hurry
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — a line
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bound — certain
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. root — the cause
  17. chest — of your body
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mate — to breed
  21. row — to paddle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mate — a partner

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