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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — completely
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — a song
  19. root — the cause
  20. cold — an illness
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cold — not warm
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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