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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · bound · pit · root · board · trunk · racket · land

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. face — to confront
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. face — to point toward
  8. land — a country
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. land — to come down
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pit — in a race
  14. land — ground
  15. root — of a plant
  16. face — part of the head
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — obliged
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pit — a hole
  21. root — the cause
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. root — of a word
  24. trunk — of a car

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