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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — to visit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mine — for digging
  16. root — of a word
  17. swing — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — soda
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. bulb — for light

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