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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: racket · root · mouse · fall · branch · march · net · row

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. fall — to drop
  5. march — music
  6. net — for catching
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. march — the month
  10. row — to paddle
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. root — the cause
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — a division
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. net — in sport
  23. fall — the season
  24. net — after costs

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