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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: rest · racket · cap · branch · saw · row · root · bulb

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. cap — a lid
  5. branch — a division
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rest — a break
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — the tool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. root — of a plant
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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