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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: root · mate · wake · fork · content · racket · bound · rock

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fork — in a road
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — to breed
  11. content — happy
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — of a word
  21. rock — music
  22. content — the amount
  23. wake — a trail
  24. root — of a plant

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