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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. root — the cause
  19. branch — a division
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pop — to visit
  22. root — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pop — soda

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