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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. court — for sport
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — for pool
  5. land — a country
  6. bank — of a river
  7. court — of law
  8. land — ground
  9. bank — for money
  10. land — to come down
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bound — obliged
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. court — of a king
  16. cue — a hint
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bank — for money
  19. bound — certain
  20. bore — to drill
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cue — a signal
  23. roll — a list
  24. root — of a plant

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