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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: spell · date · board · tear · bank · season · root · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spell — a short time
  6. firm — a company
  7. season — in sport
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. firm — steady
  11. root — of a word
  12. tear — from crying
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — for money
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — the cause
  17. board — a committee
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — magic
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tear — to rip
  24. spell — letters

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