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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 120 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: root · racket · mate · branch · rule · saw · ball · stem

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. root — of a word
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rule — a law
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. branch — a division
  15. rule — government
  16. mate — a partner
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stem — to come from
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. saw — the tool

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