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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: bat · bank · root · racket · dip · bear · stand · row

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. root — the cause
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. root — of a word
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. row — a line
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — for baseball

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