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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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 — for money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — clever
  5. root — the cause
  6. field — farmland
  7. staff — a stick
  8. face — to confront
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — for sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bank — of a river
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — employees
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — part of the head
  23. field — a subject
  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