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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lean — thin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. root — of a word
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — a path
  9. court — of a king
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. court — for sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. board — to get on
  16. track — to keep track
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — a break
  19. board — a committee
  20. court — of law
  21. bank — of a river
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. rest — what's left

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