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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. root — the cause
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — a subject
  5. root — of a word
  6. object — a thing
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. field — for sport
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pop — music
  14. object — an aim
  15. pop — to visit
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — for money
  19. object — to protest
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pop — soda
  23. bank — for money
  24. ball — a great time

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