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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 116 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: chair · bound · file · pop · wound · board · root · pitcher

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. root — of a word
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — certain
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bound — obliged

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