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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. march — the month
  8. squash — to crush
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — the cause
  14. stock — shares
  15. march — the month
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — in music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — of a plant
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. march — music

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