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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rest — a break
  4. root — the cause
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — a position
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. net — for catching
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — after costs
  24. stand — for spectators

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