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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. branch — a division
  3. row — to paddle
  4. key — for a lock
  5. root — the cause
  6. tube — the underground
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — the most important part
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. field — for sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. row — a line
  17. key — in music
  18. field — a subject
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. field — farmland

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