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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: stock · branch · prune · board · fork · root · lean · rest

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lean — thin
  4. branch — a division
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. root — the cause
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — a break
  9. stock — shares
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — to get on
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fork — in a road
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stock — goods
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — to bend

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