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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · foot · root · bank · bear · cap · bowl · mine

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. root — of a word
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — the cause
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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