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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: bound · leaves · wake · dip · root · field · pass · chip

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bound — tied together
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chip — for betting
  7. field — a subject
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pass — a permit
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bound — certain
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. root — the cause
  24. dip — to sink

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