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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: trunk · pitcher · bank · mouse · root · mine · ground · cap

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — of a word
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — crushed
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mine — for digging
  19. root — the cause
  20. ground — a position
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cap — a hat

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