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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. branch — a division
  3. club — for golf
  4. root — of a word
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. clip — a video
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. clip — for paper
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bass — the fish
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. root — the cause
  20. bass — low music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. safe — out of danger

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