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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: rest · bank · mine · content · ground · cabinet · root · roll

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — crushed
  5. content — the amount
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — for money
  9. roll — a list
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. root — the cause
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — happy
  17. rest — a break
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mine — for digging
  22. root — of a word
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bank — of a river

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