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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. land — a country
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. track — a song
  8. bank — for money
  9. root — the cause
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. march — music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — the month
  16. land — to come down
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — a path
  21. bank — of a river
  22. land — ground
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — a football final

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