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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. root — the cause
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chest — a box
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — the sport
  12. root — of a plant
  13. track — a path
  14. squash — to crush
  15. track — a song
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cell — a phone

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