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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. club — a group
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. root — the cause
  8. mine — for digging
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. club — for dancing
  12. root — of a word
  13. club — for golf
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. dip — to sink
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mate — to breed

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