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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: fan · leaves · rock · game · root · stand · bass · bank

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — the cause
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bass — low music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. root — of a word
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — of a river
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. stand — on your feet

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