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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: bound · pop · content · rest · ball · temple · club · root

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. content — happy
  4. pop — music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pop — soda
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bound — obliged
  10. club — for dancing
  11. content — the amount
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — the cause
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ball — a dance
  16. club — for golf
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a great time
  19. root — of a word
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pop — to visit
  22. root — of a plant
  23. club — a group
  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