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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 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. drill — army training
  3. wax — to grow
  4. degree — from a university
  5. track — to keep track
  6. squash — to crush
  7. branch — a division
  8. degree — temperature
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. track — a path
  12. root — of a word
  13. drill — a practice
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. degree — an amount
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. root — the cause
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. root — of a plant
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. squash — the sport
  24. track — a song

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