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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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468
Word bank
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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: spring · bank · bay · root · pitch · game · pass · saw

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. root — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. root — of a word
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bank — for money
  14. root — the cause
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitch — completely

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