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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.

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: content · degree · court · key · root · bank · bound · leaves

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bank — of a river
  6. root — the cause
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. court — of law
  9. content — happy
  10. bound — certain
  11. bank — for money
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. court — for sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. root — of a word
  16. degree — temperature
  17. court — of a king
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bound — tied together
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. content — the amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. key — for a lock
  24. leaves — of a tree

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