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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. scale — in music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. game — wild animals
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ground — the earth
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. scale — size or range
  16. game — a match
  17. branch — a division
  18. root — the cause
  19. ground — crushed
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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