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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: root · ruler · firm · drill · hand · net · branch · scale

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hand — help
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. root — the cause
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — after costs
  7. branch — a division
  8. firm — a company
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — army training
  14. root — of a word
  15. net — in sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. scale — size or range
  22. net — for catching
  23. firm — steady
  24. drill — 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