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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 120 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hand — help
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — in cards
  7. track — a song
  8. bank — for money
  9. bat — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. root — of a word
  16. pit — in a race
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pit — a hole
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. root — the cause
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. track — a path

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