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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: cold · pop · mark · stand · tube · root · bound · suit

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bound — certain
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. root — the cause
  10. tube — a container
  11. pop — soda
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cold — not warm
  18. suit — to fit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pop — music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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