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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 · spring · root · degree · suit · dip · fork · coach

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bound — obliged
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. suit — clothes
  8. root — of a word
  9. suit — in cards
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — of water
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. root — of a plant
  16. degree — temperature
  17. spring — a coil
  18. root — the cause
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — the season
  21. degree — an amount
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — certain
  24. coach — a trainer

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