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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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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: stick · bound · pound · vault · squash · bank · root · game

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. game — wild animals
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. root — the cause
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — of a word
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — certain
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bank — of a river
  24. squash — to crush

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