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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — of a plant
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. wind — moving air
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. scale — size or range
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. capital — money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — a city
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. scale — in music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — low music
  24. bank — of a river

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