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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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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: saw · content · root · club · drill · file · key · branch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — of a word
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. content — happy
  7. key — for a lock
  8. root — of a plant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. content — the amount
  14. drill — the tool
  15. club — a group
  16. key — in music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. file — a tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. file — a document
  21. key — the most important part
  22. drill — army training
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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