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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rock — a stone
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. root — of a word
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — after costs
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. root — the cause
  15. net — for catching
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. net — in sport
  18. root — of a plant
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — employees

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