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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 120 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: season · track · root · stem · firm · pit · wave · branch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pit — a hole
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. track — a song
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. root — of a word
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. firm — decided
  13. season — in sport
  14. firm — a company
  15. root — the cause
  16. track — a path
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — of the year
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. firm — steady
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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