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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — moving air
  3. field — for sport
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. root — of a plant
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stand — to bear
  9. deal — to handle
  10. root — the cause
  11. capital — money
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bank — of a river
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. capital — a city
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. root — of a word
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. field — farmland
  21. bank — for money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pound — a weight
  24. field — a subject

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