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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pit — a hole
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. root — the cause
  8. swing — to play on
  9. root — of a word
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cue — a hint
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pit — in a race
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cue — for pool
  23. swing — music
  24. bank — of a river

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