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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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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: root · fall · game · march · chip · land · lash · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. march — the month
  3. root — of a plant
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — the cause
  8. game — a match
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — for money
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — to eat
  13. land — a country
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fall — to drop
  16. march — music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. game — wild animals
  22. root — of a word
  23. fall — the season
  24. lash — an eyelash

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