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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: root · pass · bore · march · capital · band · prune · bound

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. band — a music group
  6. pass — a permit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. march — the month
  10. root — the cause
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a ring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — to trim
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. capital — money
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — to drill
  21. capital — a city
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  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