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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · capital · branch · coach · perch · track · safe · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — to keep track
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. perch — the fish
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — a path
  16. capital — money
  17. root — the cause
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — a division
  21. root — of a plant
  22. track — a song
  23. capital — a city
  24. safe — out of danger

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