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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. branch — a division
  7. root — of a word
  8. fine — all right
  9. root — the cause
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — there
  14. fine — high quality
  15. present — the time now
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. board — to get on
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — a committee
  21. lean — to bend
  22. present — a gift
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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