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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. root — the cause
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. root — of a plant
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bank — for money
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — a division
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bank — of a river
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. kid — to tease
  19. deal — to handle
  20. root — of a word
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. kid — child
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. scale — in 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