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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: key · cabinet · bulb · root · bound · lean · march · rock

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. march — the month
  5. root — the cause
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — in music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — thin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bound — tied together
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — of a word
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — for a lock
  24. march — music

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