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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · mate · cap · chair · sharp · court · mine · root

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mate — a partner
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mine — for digging
  15. court — of law
  16. cap — of ice
  17. court — of a king
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — of a word
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. court — for sport
  24. root — the cause

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