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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: fan · net · root · bound · rush · pound · rest · capital

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — certain
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. root — of a word
  16. capital — a city
  17. root — the cause
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rest — a break
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — after costs
  23. capital — money
  24. pound — a weight

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