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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · capital · wake · perch · branch · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. capital — money
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. capital — a city
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. root — of a word

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