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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.

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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: track · branch · calf · chip · root · racket · bore · wave

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chip — to eat
  3. track — a song
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. chip — for betting
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — of a plant
  10. track — a path
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bore — to tire
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. branch — a division
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. root — the cause
  24. calf — a young animal

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