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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · clip · bound · craft · leaves · root · game · toast

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — a match
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bound — tied together
  7. clip — a video
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bark — to shout
  13. toast — bread
  14. root — of a word
  15. craft — a skill
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. root — the cause
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. game — a kind of play

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