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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 · hand · march · spring · snap · bowl · suit · bound

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. march — music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bound — tied together
  5. root — of a word
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. march — the month
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spring — of water
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — in cards
  24. root — of a plant

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