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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: bowl · rock · sharp · root · bound · perch · press · bore

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. press — to push
  3. bound — tied together
  4. root — the cause
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bound — certain
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. perch — the fish
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rock — a stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — obliged
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rock — music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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