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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — to get on
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. board — a committee
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. root — of a word
  11. net — after costs
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — for catching
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kick — in football
  23. root — the cause
  24. squash — the vegetable

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