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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: branch · rush · vault · game · arm · pit · bay · root

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pit — in a race
  11. game — a match
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. root — the cause
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rush — hurry
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. root — of a plant
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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