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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. root — of a word
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. root — the cause
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bound — certain
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bass — low music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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