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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: rash · root · bound · club · cabinet · stick · chest · pass

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a word
  4. club — a group
  5. bound — obliged
  6. root — the cause
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. club — for golf
  9. bound — tied together
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chest — a box
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bound — certain
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — a series
  24. pass — to succeed

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