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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — in control
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pop — music
  6. rash — hasty
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rash — a series
  10. root — the cause
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cell — a phone
  13. scale — in music
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. charge — electricity
  17. root — of a word
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. charge — a price
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bank — for money
  24. march — the month

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