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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: root · pitcher · court · clip · kick · bulb · bank · track

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — the cause
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. track — a path
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — a song
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kick — in football
  13. court — of a king
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. court — of law
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. root — of a word
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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