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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. game — a match
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. suit — to fit
  6. root — the cause
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. present — there
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — the time now
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. present — a gift

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