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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: root · tear · present · bound · cue · rock · charge · perch

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. present — the time now
  3. bound — certain
  4. present — a gift
  5. charge — a price
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rock — a stone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — there
  14. tear — to rip
  15. charge — electricity
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — the cause
  18. cue — a signal
  19. root — of a word
  20. cue — for pool
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. perch — for a bird

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