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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ground — a position
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pop — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — of a word
  7. roll — a list
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pop — to visit
  10. squash — the sport
  11. root — of a plant
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bound — obliged
  14. root — the cause
  15. pop — soda
  16. squash — to crush
  17. board — a committee
  18. ground — crushed
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — to get on
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bound — tied together

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