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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mate — a partner
  3. field — for sport
  4. suit — in cards
  5. land — a country
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — ground
  9. club — a group
  10. mate — to breed
  11. root — of a word
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — to come down
  14. root — the cause
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — to fit
  19. club — for golf
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bank — for money

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