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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 120 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: cap · racket · root · key · bank · pound · cue · land

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cap — a hat
  5. land — ground
  6. cue — for pool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cue — a signal
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cue — a hint
  14. land — to come down
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — a country
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pound — a weight
  22. root — the cause
  23. key — in music
  24. pound — for dogs

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