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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: nail · chip · root · pound · leaves · bound · wake · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — of a word
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. root — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bowl — a football final

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