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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 · root · lash · fork · pitch · tube · scale · board

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. scale — size or range
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — the cause
  6. scale — in music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. board — a committee
  11. branch — a division
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. root — of a word
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — to get on
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fork — in a road
  24. board — a flat piece

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