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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 116 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: pound · bay · board · sharp · bound · fan · season · root

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. root — the cause
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. season — of the year
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. season — in sport
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. board — to get on

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