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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. march — music
  6. root — of a word
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. current — electric
  10. root — the cause
  11. march — the month
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. swing — in golf
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. current — happening now
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — music

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