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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: mate · key · bound · fall · root · scale · bore · can

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. can — a tin
  3. bore — to drill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bound — certain
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. key — in music
  13. root — of a word
  14. scale — size or range
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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