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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. root — of a word
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — to trim
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. root — the cause
  9. ball — a dance
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ball — a great time
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. bass — the fish
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — low music
  24. rest — a break

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