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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spell — letters
  3. bound — obliged
  4. file — a document
  5. root — of a plant
  6. spell — magic
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. board — to get on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a line of people
  11. current — electric
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a tool
  16. root — the cause
  17. wax — to grow
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. root — of a word

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