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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bark — to shout
  4. root — the cause
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. press — to push
  9. band — a ring
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. press — newspapers
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. root — of a word
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. band — a music group
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — to eat
  24. root — of a plant

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