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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — a country
  4. bank — for money
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ball — a great time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — to come down
  17. ball — a dance
  18. content — happy
  19. chest — of your body
  20. content — the amount
  21. land — ground
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — a box
  24. ball — a round shape

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