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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — of a plant
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. root — the cause
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kid — child
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tear — from crying
  14. root — of a word
  15. tear — to rip
  16. present — a gift
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. present — the time now
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. present — there
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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