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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: pitcher · content · pound · chip · bulb · field · bank · root

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. root — of a word
  4. bank — for money
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — of a river
  14. field — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — happy
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. root — of a plant
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. field — farmland
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. content — the amount
  24. root — the cause

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