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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rash — a series
  8. chair — a leader
  9. root — of a plant
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. content — the amount
  23. root — of a word
  24. branch — of a tree

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