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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. charge — in control
  5. pop — music
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fall — the season
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fall — to drop
  16. march — the month
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — a price
  20. craft — boats
  21. bank — for money
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pop — soda
  24. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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