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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. net — for catching
  4. spell — magic
  5. root — the cause
  6. branch — a division
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spell — letters
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. root — of a word
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spell — a short time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mate — a partner
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. wind — moving air
  24. can — a tin

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