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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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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: pitcher · dip · ball · root · stock · cap · ground · bank

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — crushed
  6. root — of a plant
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bank — of a river
  9. root — the cause
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ground — a position
  14. stock — goods
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ground — the earth
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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