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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: bowl · pound · object · bark · bound · track · cabinet · root

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. object — to protest
  7. root — of a plant
  8. track — a path
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — a thing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a word
  15. bound — certain
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. track — a song
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. root — the cause
  23. track — to keep track
  24. object — an aim

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