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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: game · row · wax · root · fork · pound · ball · branch

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. row — a line
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ball — a dance
  9. branch — a division
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. root — of a word
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fork — in a road
  21. game — a match
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. root — of a plant
  24. branch — of a bank

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