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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. squash — to crush
  3. key — for a lock
  4. branch — a division
  5. net — after costs
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. net — in sport
  10. fine — high quality
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. root — of a plant
  13. key — the most important part
  14. root — the cause
  15. fine — all right
  16. key — in music
  17. root — of a word
  18. net — for catching

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