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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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Word bank
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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spring — of water
  8. scale — in music
  9. file — a tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. degree — from a university
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — the cause
  15. degree — an amount
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. file — a line of people
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. spring — the season
  22. root — of a plant
  23. squash — the sport
  24. root — of a word

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