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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. track — a path
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — a song
  8. bat — the animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. root — the cause
  11. pop — soda
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — to keep track
  15. board — a committee
  16. object — an aim
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. object — a thing
  22. pop — music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pop — to visit

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