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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: fine · bat · branch · bulb · ground · kick · root · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — the cause
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. kick — in football
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. root — of a word
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. branch — a division
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ground — a position
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — of a bank

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