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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 116 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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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: mine · root · bound · last · sharp · bank · racket · row

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bound — certain
  3. root — the cause
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. last — final
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. sharp — clever
  9. last — finally
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mine — for digging
  14. last — to go on
  15. bound — tied together
  16. row — a line
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. root — of a word
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a quarrel

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