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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: chip · root · last · fan · ground · bank · net · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. root — the cause
  8. ground — crushed
  9. last — final
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a word
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. net — for catching
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ground — a position
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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