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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: ball · bark · bank · root · scale · ground · dip · arm

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — to sink
  3. root — of a plant
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ground — a position
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. root — of a word
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ground — crushed
  14. root — the cause
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bank — of a river
  18. scale — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. scale — size or range

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