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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — soda
  4. bank — of a river
  5. root — of a word
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — a tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rash — a series
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rash — hasty
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pop — to visit

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