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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: can · mine · foot · bound · chair · rest · root · deal

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — a leader
  3. root — the cause
  4. mine — for digging
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — a break
  9. bound — tied together
  10. root — of a word
  11. can — to be able to
  12. deal — to handle
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. can — a tin

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