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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bore — to tire
  4. board — a committee
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pop — music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — a path
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. root — the cause
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — to get on
  24. track — a song

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