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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — of a king
  6. bat — the animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. court — of law
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — a committee
  20. root — of a word
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. root — of a plant

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