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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: cabinet · date · wave · land · bound · can · pound · root

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bound — obliged
  5. land — ground
  6. bound — certain
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. land — a country
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. land — to come down
  16. bound — tied together
  17. root — the cause
  18. pound — a weight
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — of a word
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cabinet — ministers

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