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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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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: bowl · pass · bound · cabinet · root · spell · mark · can

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. root — of a word
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — to be able to
  7. root — the cause
  8. spell — magic
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mark — a trace
  11. can — a tin
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spell — letters
  19. bound — certain
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mark — to pay attention

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