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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. court — for sport
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. pop — soda
  8. root — of a word
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. root — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — a division
  19. root — the cause
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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