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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — of a word
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bank — of a river
  13. club — for golf
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bank — for money
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — a group
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. perch — for a bird

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