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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: last · bound · root · bank · bat · mouse · kid · fine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bank — for money
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. root — the cause
  10. last — finally
  11. bound — certain
  12. fine — all right
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bound — obliged
  15. last — final
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. last — to go on
  22. root — of a word
  23. bank — for money
  24. kid — child

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