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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ball — a dance
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. net — for catching
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. net — after costs
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. branch — a division
  15. suit — clothes
  16. root — of a plant
  17. game — a match
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a kind of play

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