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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bank — of a river
  3. band — a music group
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. club — for golf
  7. root — the cause
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — a break
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. band — a ring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — to shout
  19. dip — to sink
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. root — of a word
  24. club — a group

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