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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 116 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: rule · squash · root · track · mate · bound · plane · charge

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. track — to keep track
  4. charge — in control
  5. mate — a friend
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rule — a law
  12. root — of a plant
  13. plane — a tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. track — a song
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. root — of a word
  19. track — a path
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mate — to breed
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rule — government
  24. root — the cause

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