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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pop — soda
  3. root — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. club — for golf
  6. net — after costs
  7. root — of a word
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. root — the cause
  17. net — in sport
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. club — a group
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pop — music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. branch — a division

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