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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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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 · pit · wax · cap · rock · bank · kick · squash

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — of a word
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bank — of a river
  6. root — the cause
  7. bank — for money
  8. pit — in a race
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rock — music
  13. cap — of ice
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cap — a hat
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. squash — the vegetable

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