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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 116 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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — of a word
  3. bark — to shout
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. march — the month
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — the cause
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. march — music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — a break
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. branch — a division
  22. root — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pitch — completely

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