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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: wind · bat · bound · deal · roll · dip · root · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. roll — a list
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bat — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. dip — to sink
  17. root — of a word
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. dip — a sauce

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