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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: bank · scale · mate · bore · band · ground · root · temple

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bank — for money
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. root — of a plant
  5. scale — in music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — the cause
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a music group
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bore — to drill
  23. root — of a word
  24. ground — a position

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