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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bank — for money
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a dance
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — a country
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — to come down
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a word
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. key — in music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. root — the cause
  24. land — ground

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