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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. scale — in music
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — to eat
  6. root — of a word
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wake — a trail
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. charge — a price
  21. march — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. charge — in control
  24. root — of a plant

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