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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. root — of a plant
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — of a word
  19. march — the month
  20. root — the cause
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bank — of a river
  23. swing — to play on
  24. march — music

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