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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 120 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. root — the cause
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. key — in music
  13. march — the month
  14. key — for a lock
  15. root — of a word
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. key — the most important part
  18. march — the month
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. march — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cold — not warm

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