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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — a coil
  8. board — to get on
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. spring — the season
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — a committee
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. game — a match
  18. sharp — clever
  19. root — the cause
  20. game — wild animals
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. root — of a word
  24. mine — an explosive

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