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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 116 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 · land · stick · bank · bat · swing · bay · scale

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — a country
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. swing — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. scale — in music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bank — of a river
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. scale — for weighing

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