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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: rest · root · bore · field · present · bound · pitcher · mug

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — there
  3. root — the cause
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bore — to drill
  8. root — of a word
  9. mug — to rob
  10. field — a subject
  11. root — of a plant
  12. present — the time now
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — farmland
  18. bound — certain
  19. present — a gift
  20. field — for sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mug — a face
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mug — a cup

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