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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
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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: land · branch · lash · deal · scale · stem · field · root

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. field — a subject
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. branch — a division
  5. land — ground
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. land — a country
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stem — to come from
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. scale — size or range
  20. field — farmland
  21. land — to come down
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  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