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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. root — the cause
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. net — in sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. net — for catching
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cue — for pool
  13. root — of a word
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cue — a hint
  20. net — after costs
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bat — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bat — for baseball

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