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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. root — of a plant
  5. branch — a division
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. root — of a word
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rash — hasty
  12. field — for sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. root — the cause
  16. object — a thing
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. field — farmland
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — a hole
  22. field — a subject
  23. rash — a series
  24. object — an aim

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