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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: object · racket · wave · content · bank · toast · foot · root

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — an aim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. content — happy
  12. root — the cause
  13. object — to protest
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. object — a thing
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bank — of a river
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. content — the amount
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wave — of the sea

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