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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: can · root · season · branch · pitcher · toast · bore · wound

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. toast — bread
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. season — in sport
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — the cause
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. root — of a word
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. toast — the most admired

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