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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bank — of a river
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a document
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. field — a subject
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — the month
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — music
  24. file — a tool

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