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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: root · ruler · rest · face · march · bound · current · fork

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. march — music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. root — the cause
  6. bound — certain
  7. current — electric
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. current — of water
  15. face — to confront
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. march — the month
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. current — happening now
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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