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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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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. root — of a word
  3. swing — in golf
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. root — the cause
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — a lid
  10. root — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. branch — a division
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. nail — for a hammer

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