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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: foot · pound · chip · cabinet · content · bound · file · root

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bound — certain
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. file — a tool
  12. root — the cause
  13. content — happy
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. content — the amount
  20. bound — tied together
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. root — of a word
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — to eat

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