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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. content — the amount
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bank — of a river
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. content — happy
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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