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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. date — the fruit
  3. root — the cause
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mark — a grade
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a document
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. root — of a plant
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — a trace
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. branch — a division

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