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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 120 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: bear · present · mug · march · bank · pitcher · root · bound

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. march — music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bound — certain
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mug — a cup
  21. march — the month
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — the month
  24. present — the time now

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