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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · kid · bound · fork · root · ruler

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kid — child
  9. root — the cause
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. root — of a word
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bound — obliged

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