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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — of water
  4. root — of a word
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bank — for money
  16. field — for sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chip — in a computer

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