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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 · bound · rule · hand · bore · root · content · scale

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bore — to tire
  3. root — of a word
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rule — government
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. root — the cause
  11. hand — help
  12. rule — a law
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. content — happy
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. root — of a plant
  24. hand — in cards

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