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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. root — the cause
  4. date — the fruit
  5. object — to protest
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — a song
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bark — to shout
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. root — of a plant
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wind — moving air
  18. race — humankind
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bound — certain
  21. root — of a word
  22. object — a thing
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. object — an aim

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