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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — a break
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. charge — in control
  15. track — to keep track
  16. clip — for paper
  17. root — of a word
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — of a plant
  22. clip — a video
  23. charge — a price
  24. clip — to cut

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