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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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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: rest · saw · kid · toast · staff · bank · pitcher · root

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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 word
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — the cause
  11. bank — of a river
  12. staff — employees
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rest — a break
  23. root — of a plant
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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