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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · branch · root · plane · field · bass · stem · perch

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — a tool
  3. root — of a word
  4. march — the month
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. march — music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. root — of a plant
  19. branch — a division
  20. bass — the fish
  21. root — the cause
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. field — for sport

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