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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: field · bound · row · cue · fall · root · bark · bank

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bank — of a river
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bound — certain
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fall — to drop
  8. field — farmland
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. root — the cause
  13. fall — the season
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — a subject
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. field — for sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. row — a line
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a word
  24. cue — a signal

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