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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 124 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bound — certain
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. object — to protest
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. object — an aim
  17. bound — obliged
  18. object — a thing
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. root — the cause
  24. wave — of the sea

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