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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: lash · branch · jam · band · root · content · drill · ground

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. band — a ring
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. content — the amount
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ground — a position
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — the tool
  21. content — happy
  22. root — of a word
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. band — a music group

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