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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bound — certain
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. root — the cause
  7. row — a line
  8. march — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. root — of a word
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. root — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chip — to eat
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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