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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. pop — soda
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fine — all right
  8. root — the cause
  9. club — a group
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. root — of a word
  14. pop — to visit
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fine — high quality
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. root — of a plant

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