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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 · bank · suit · tube · ground · row · club · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. suit — to fit
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — the earth
  10. tube — a container
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bank — for money
  16. root — the cause
  17. row — a line
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. club — for dancing
  24. row — to paddle

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