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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — farmland
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. board — to get on
  9. craft — boats
  10. field — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — of a plant
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. field — a subject
  16. bank — of a river
  17. board — a committee
  18. root — of a word
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. craft — a skill
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. spring — of water

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