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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: temple · branch · calf · mate · capital · stock · bay · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stock — goods
  4. branch — a division
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mate — a friend
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mate — a partner
  10. root — of a word
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — to breed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stock — shares
  21. capital — money
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. capital — a city

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