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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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Word bank
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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: bat · branch · root · cue · can · key

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. branch — a division
  3. bat — the animal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. can — to be able to
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — in music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. key — for a lock
  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