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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. land — to come down
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. bank — for money
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bank — of a river
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — humankind
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. root — the cause
  19. race — a contest
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. swing — music
  23. root — of a word
  24. cabinet — ministers

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