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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. club — a group
  6. rash — hasty
  7. root — the cause
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. object — an aim
  10. bank — for money
  11. club — for golf
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. object — a thing
  14. rash — a series
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — help
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. root — of a word
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hand — in cards
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. object — to protest
  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