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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. march — the month
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. march — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pound — a weight
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — the cause
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chest — a box
  21. prune — to trim
  22. march — the month
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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