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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — the cause
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. present — there
  8. root — of a word
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spring — a coil
  11. field — a subject
  12. present — a gift
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spring — of water
  18. field — for sport
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rule — a law
  23. present — the time now
  24. spring — the season

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