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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bank — for money
  3. root — the cause
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pit — in a race
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pit — a hole
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — of a word
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — certain
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — a trail
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bound — obliged
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. straw — dry grass

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