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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. degree — from a university
  3. root — the cause
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. drill — army training
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bass — low music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. degree — temperature
  13. root — of a plant
  14. branch — a division
  15. degree — an amount
  16. root — of a word
  17. wax — to grow
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. suit — to fit

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