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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 · clip · bound · mate · fine · scale · stand · board

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stand — to bear
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. board — a committee
  7. scale — in music
  8. root — of a word
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bound — tied together
  14. clip — a video
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bound — certain
  20. board — to get on
  21. scale — size or range
  22. root — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fine — all right

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