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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.

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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. root — the cause
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a word
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pit — in a race
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. branch — a division
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. present — a gift
  13. plane — a tool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. root — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pit — a hole
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. present — the time now
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a tree

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