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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — of a plant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. root — of a word
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — the cause
  17. march — music
  18. bound — obliged

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