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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: wake · pop · ruler · craft · pass · branch · mine · root

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a plant
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pop — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a word
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pop — soda
  20. root — the cause
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mine — an explosive

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