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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. root — of a word
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bound — certain
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mark — a trace
  23. root — the cause
  24. patient — a sick person

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