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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bound — tied together
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bank — of a river
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bank — for money
  8. root — of a word
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cap — a lid
  15. field — a subject
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. field — for sport
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. root — the cause
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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