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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 120 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 · craft · rest · bank · chip · net · mine · ground

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ground — the earth
  4. root — the cause
  5. craft — boats
  6. net — after costs
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — for catching
  12. root — of a word
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — in sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ground — a position
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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