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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: bay · leaves · root · bowl · bound · content · chest · field

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bound — obliged
  3. field — a subject
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. field — for sport
  6. content — the amount
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bound — tied together
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. content — happy
  12. bound — certain
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chest — a box
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. field — farmland
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. root — of a word
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chest — of your body
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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