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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. scale — size or range
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bass — low music
  6. branch — a division
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fine — all right
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. root — of a plant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — magic
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bass — the fish
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spell — letters
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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