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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: branch · race · stick · swing · root · present

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — a division
  4. swing — music
  5. race — a contest
  6. present — a gift
  7. race — humankind
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. root — of a word
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a plant
  17. present — the time now
  18. root — the cause

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