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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · mate · racket · game · root · bank · wax · content

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. content — the amount
  9. mate — a friend
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. root — of a word
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. root — the cause
  24. wax — to grow

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