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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. root — the cause
  3. scale — size or range
  4. root — of a word
  5. wound — an injury
  6. capital — a city
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — in a road
  11. scale — in music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wound — an injury
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bear — to put up with

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