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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.

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: current · branch · fork · saw · pitch · foot · wound · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — electric
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. current — of water
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wound — an injury
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pitch — completely
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fork — in a road
  20. branch — a division
  21. saw — the tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. current — happening now
  24. root — of a word

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