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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · rest · racket · root · bound · cabinet · march · coach

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rest — a break
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — the cause
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — what's left
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — certain
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. root — of a word

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