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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · root · scale · bank · court · nail · deal · leaves

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bank — of a river
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. root — of a plant
  5. last — to go on
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. last — finally
  8. scale — size or range
  9. root — the cause
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — to handle
  13. scale — in music
  14. root — of a word
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — final
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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