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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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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: bay · suit · stem · squash · fork · branch · root · field

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. root — of a plant
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. field — for sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. root — the cause
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. suit — to fit
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fork — in a road
  15. suit — in cards
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. suit — clothes
  19. root — of a word
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. branch — a division
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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