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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. charge — in control
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. scale — in music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — in football
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — of a word
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rest — a break

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