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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 120 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. scale — in music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spell — letters
  12. root — of a word
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — magic
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. spring — of water
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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