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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. press — newspapers
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bank — for money
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. kid — child
  11. press — to push
  12. root — the cause
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ball — a great time
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ball — a dance
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. patient — a sick person

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