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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: bulb · root · band · plane · bore · cabinet · bound · track

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bore — to tire
  3. root — of a word
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bound — tied together
  6. band — a ring
  7. root — the cause
  8. track — a path
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — to keep track
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. track — a song
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. band — a music group
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. band — a rubber band

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