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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: root · bank · net · bulb · lie · cue · object · pitcher

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. object — to protest
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — for pool
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. root — of a word
  20. net — after costs
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. object — a thing
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. object — an aim

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