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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · root · hand · branch · fork · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. game — a match
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. branch — a division
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fork — in a road
  8. game — wild animals
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — of a word
  14. hand — help
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. branch — of a bank

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