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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: pitcher · racket · ground · root · bound · cabinet · craft · mark

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. root — of a word
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — boats
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — a position
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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