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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: pit · bank · spring · land · rock · rule · mouse · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. land — to come down
  7. spring — the season
  8. land — ground
  9. spring — of water
  10. rule — government
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rule — a law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. land — a country
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — the cause

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