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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bank — of a river
  3. root — of a word
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cap — a lid
  6. season — of the year
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bank — for money
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. club — for golf
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bank — for money
  14. scale — in music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. clip — to cut
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. root — the cause
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. clip — a video
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. season — in sport

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