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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. net — after costs
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. net — in sport
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. club — for dancing
  13. root — the cause
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — for catching
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — a trail
  18. club — a group
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — of a river
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. can — a tin
  23. bank — for money
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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