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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: last · nail · game · bank · pound · date · temple · root

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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 plant
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. game — wild animals
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pound — a weight
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. last — to go on
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — a match
  16. last — final
  17. bank — for money
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. last — finally
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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