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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bank — for money
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mate — a partner
  6. present — a gift
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. net — after costs
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a word
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pop — soda
  18. present — the time now
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. present — there
  22. pop — music
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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