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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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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: game · arm · pass · root · stick · bank · cell · pound

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pass — a permit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — a weight
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. root — the cause
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. arm — part of the body

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