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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — a song
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — music
  7. track — a path
  8. root — of a plant
  9. swing — to play on
  10. root — the cause
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cold — an illness
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bank — of a river
  20. root — of a word
  21. rock — a stone
  22. net — in sport
  23. cold — not warm
  24. game — a match

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