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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. board — a committee
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. root — of a plant
  8. firm — a company
  9. branch — a division
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — of a word
  12. ground — crushed
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rash — hasty
  15. firm — steady
  16. content — happy
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. content — the amount
  20. firm — decided
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ground — a position
  23. board — to get on
  24. root — the cause

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