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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: fall · root · rest · bark · bound · field · stand · rule

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. root — the cause
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. field — a subject
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. root — of a plant
  10. field — for sport
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. field — farmland
  17. root — of a word
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fall — the season
  21. rule — government
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — a law
  24. rest — what's left

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