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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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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: arm · root · chip · pound · race · roll · bound · key

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bound — obliged
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. key — in music
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. root — of a plant
  12. chip — to eat
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chip — for betting
  15. race — humankind
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. race — a contest
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. roll — a list
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. race — the arms race

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