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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: bear · bank · suit · arm · ground · court · root · temple

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bank — for money
  3. root — the cause
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — the earth
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ground — crushed
  10. root — of a word
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bank — of a river
  14. court — of a king
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. root — of a plant
  22. court — of law
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — for sport

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