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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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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: pit · board · spring · bowl · pound · bay · bound · root

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pound — a weight
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — in a race
  7. board — a committee
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. root — the cause
  24. spring — the season

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