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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bank — of a river
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bound — certain
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bound — tied together
  8. root — of a word
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. root — the cause
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. safe — out of danger

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