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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. bank — for money
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — of law
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — for sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a word
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a dance
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ball — a great time
  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