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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. root — of a word
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ground — a position
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — a division
  14. ground — the earth
  15. root — of a plant
  16. chip — to eat
  17. season — in sport
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. root — the cause
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chip — for betting

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