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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: ball · trunk · bowl · root · branch · bark · cap · ground

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ground — a position
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ground — crushed
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cap — a hat
  15. root — of a word
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cap — a lid
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. root — the cause
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. root — of a plant

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