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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — farmland
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. field — a subject
  9. pop — music
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — a container
  13. field — for sport
  14. tube — the underground
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pop — soda
  17. hand — help
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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