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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. ground — the earth
  3. suit — to fit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — a position
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pound — a weight
  10. suit — clothes
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. capital — money
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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