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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bank — of a river
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. squash — the sport
  9. present — the time now
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. present — there
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. row — a line
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. game — a match
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. root — the cause
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. present — a gift

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