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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: season · club · root · cabinet · wave · march · bound · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. march — the month
  5. root — the cause
  6. march — music
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — of the year
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. root — of a plant
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a word
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. season — in sport
  17. march — the month
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. club — for golf
  21. bound — obliged
  22. club — a group
  23. bound — certain
  24. club — for dancing

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