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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. root — of a word
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bank — for money
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to sink
  24. root — the cause

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