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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.

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: bank · clip · march · cue · stand · fan · root · bark

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — a signal
  6. clip — a video
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stand — to bear
  14. march — the month
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. march — the month
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. root — the cause
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cue — a hint

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