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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 120 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: net · root · cabinet · file · pound · bound · bear · rush

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bound — tied together
  3. file — a tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. net — for catching
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. root — of a word
  19. bear — the animal
  20. root — the cause
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bound — certain

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