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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: land · bound · kick · fork · ground · board · bank · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ground — a position
  12. board — to get on
  13. root — the cause
  14. kick — in football
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — a country
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bound — certain
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ground — crushed
  24. land — to come down

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