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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stand — to bear
  3. root — of a word
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bank — for money
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pop — soda
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cell — a phone
  15. root — the cause
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cell — in biology
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pound — for dogs

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