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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. scale — size or range
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. root — of a word
  5. branch — a division
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — the month
  11. scale — in music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. land — a country
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — an injury
  16. land — ground
  17. march — music
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. land — to come down
  24. march — the month

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