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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. net — for catching
  6. march — music
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — a measure
  9. root — of a word
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. march — the month
  23. net — in sport
  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