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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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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. board — a committee
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bound — obliged
  7. root — the cause
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. root — of a word
  11. board — to get on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. key — for a lock
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. key — the most important part
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stock — shares
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bound — tied together
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stock — goods
  22. key — in music
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bore — to tire

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