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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. net — after costs
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. land — to come down
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rock — a stone
  9. root — the cause
  10. land — ground
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — a trace
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rock — music
  17. land — a country
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. board — to get on
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — a division
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. scale — size or range

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