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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: rush · root · net · charge · band · dip · fork · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — hurry
  4. root — of a plant
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. net — for catching
  7. bound — certain
  8. net — in sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fork — in a road
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. net — after costs
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. charge — in control
  20. root — the cause
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — tied together

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