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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 116 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: mark · bear · root · bat · bound · coach · club · chair

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — of a plant
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bound — tied together
  15. club — a group
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. root — the cause
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bear — the animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a grade

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