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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — music
  5. root — the cause
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mate — a partner
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. rock — a stone
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mate — a friend
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mine — for digging
  22. degree — temperature
  23. club — for golf
  24. bank — for money

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