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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
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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: rash · roll · branch · current · root · chair · bowl · cabinet

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. root — of a word
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rash — hasty
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. current — electric
  10. branch — a division
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — of water
  14. rash — a series
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. current — happening now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. roll — a list
  24. root — of a plant

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