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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. root — of a plant
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bank — of a river
  8. swing — in golf
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. root — of a word
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — the cause
  13. ground — the earth
  14. content — happy
  15. ground — crushed
  16. swing — music
  17. ground — a position
  18. content — the amount

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