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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: mug · row · court · spell · scale · root · fork · branch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mug — to rob
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. mug — a cup
  10. court — for sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. root — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. spell — letters
  15. fork — in a road
  16. spell — a short time
  17. branch — a division
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. root — the cause
  21. court — of law
  22. root — of a word
  23. scale — in music
  24. spell — magic

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