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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: land · fork · pass · saw · bound · object · root · track

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pass — a permit
  3. object — a thing
  4. fork — in a road
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. track — a song
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. land — a country
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. track — a path
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. track — to keep track

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