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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · branch · scale · wake · ball · season · root · spring

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. root — of a word
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a great time
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wake — a trail
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spring — the season
  21. season — of the year
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. branch — a division

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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