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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: ball · root · stick · rash · dip · bound · can · cabinet

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — certain
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. root — of a word
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a great time
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a dance
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — hasty
  22. root — the cause
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — of a plant

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