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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bound — certain
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. root — the cause
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bound — obliged
  16. present — there
  17. field — for sport
  18. root — of a word

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