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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: present · cabinet · land · bank · root · sharp · date · season

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — in sport
  4. date — the fruit
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — the cause
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. root — of a word
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. present — the time now
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. season — of the year
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. sharp — clever
  21. root — of a plant
  22. present — there
  23. land — a country
  24. cabinet — ministers

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