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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · root · charge · straw · suit · bound · chip · bear

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. charge — electricity
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bound — certain
  10. field — a subject
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. field — farmland
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bear — the animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. charge — in control
  22. root — of a plant
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bound — tied together

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