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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. root — of a plant
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mug — a face
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — in biology
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bass — low music
  11. bank — for money
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. game — a match
  15. mug — to rob
  16. game — wild animals
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mug — a cup

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