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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bass — low music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fork — in a road
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. branch — a division
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. shower — rain
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. root — the cause
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. shower — to wash

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