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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. present — the time now
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. vault — a safe
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. present — there
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bound — tied together
  12. root — of a plant
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bound — obliged
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. root — the cause
  20. shower — rain
  21. present — a gift
  22. track — to keep track
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bound — certain

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