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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. key — in music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ground — crushed
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. staff — a stick
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. root — the cause
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. key — for a lock
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. root — of a word
  23. rush — hurry
  24. key — the most important part

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