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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pop — soda
  3. root — of a word
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. root — of a plant
  7. board — to get on
  8. pop — music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — for money
  11. club — a group
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. club — for golf
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. root — the cause
  21. kid — child
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pop — to visit

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