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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: bound · field · file · squash · temple · dip · roll · root

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. field — for sport
  6. file — a line of people
  7. field — farmland
  8. roll — a cake
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bound — certain
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. roll — a list
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bound — obliged
  15. file — a tool
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. file — a document
  19. squash — the sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. squash — to crush
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bound — tied together

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