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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. root — the cause
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rock — a stone
  10. season — in sport
  11. root — of a word
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rock — music
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bound — tied together
  22. season — of the year
  23. date — the fruit
  24. leaves — to go away

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