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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: bay · root · deal · ground · rock · cue · net · bank

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rock — music
  3. net — in sport
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. net — for catching
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. root — of a word
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cue — a hint
  14. net — after costs
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ground — a position
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — a stone

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