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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: fan · bear · roll · stock · foot · root · bank · pitcher

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — of a river
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. root — the cause
  11. roll — a list
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — of a word
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. root — of a plant

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