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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · patient · craft · bound · bark · root · capital · press

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. capital — money
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. root — of a plant
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. craft — boats
  13. bore — to drill
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — a city
  22. bound — certain
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bore — to tire

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