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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 120 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: bank · cold · cell · pound · dip · stock · root · club

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cell — in biology
  6. club — for golf
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stock — shares
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. club — for dancing
  19. root — of a word
  20. stock — goods
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — for money
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cell — a phone

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