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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. tube — a container
  3. root — the cause
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stock — goods
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — the season
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. row — a line
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. spring — of water
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bank — for money
  22. stock — shares
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tube — in a tire

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