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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bank — of a river
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bank — for money
  7. suit — to fit
  8. roll — a list
  9. rock — music
  10. land — a country
  11. root — the cause
  12. bear — the animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. root — of a word
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rock — a stone
  17. root — of a plant
  18. land — to come down
  19. roll — a cake
  20. suit — clothes
  21. capital — money
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — for money
  24. land — ground

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