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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. key — in music
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bank — of a river
  6. root — of a plant
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. track — a path
  12. root — of a word
  13. current — electric
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. track — to keep track
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. key — the most important part
  19. root — the cause
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — happening now
  24. key — for a lock

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