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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. swing — music
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — the cause
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. swing — to play on
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. root — of a plant
  11. swing — in golf
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mark — a trace
  16. root — of a word
  17. branch — a division
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. row — a line
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. branch — of a bank

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