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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — the cause
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. capital — a city
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chip — for betting
  13. board — to get on
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — a committee
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. capital — money
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rush — hurry

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