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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: pound · root · lash · stock · bank · sharp · court · face

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. bank — for money
  2. court — of a king
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — the cause
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. face — part of the head
  17. court — for sport
  18. face — to confront
  19. court — of law
  20. stock — shares
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  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