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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. branch — a division
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bank — for money
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a word
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. root — the cause
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bear — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — of a river
  24. branch — of a bank

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