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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spring — the season
  4. squash — the sport
  5. file — a document
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — the cause
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — of a word
  10. file — a tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — a price
  13. bank — of a river
  14. spring — of water
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bass — low music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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