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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spell — a short time
  5. root — of a word
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — letters
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rock — music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — the cause
  24. ground — a position

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