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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cap — a hat
  5. root — the cause
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bank — of a river
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a word
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — the underground
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — a container
  22. cap — of ice
  23. root — of a plant
  24. degree — temperature

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