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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: branch · root · net · bark · squash · court · face · date

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. face — to confront
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. root — of a word
  7. squash — to crush
  8. net — after costs
  9. bark — to shout
  10. face — to point toward
  11. branch — a division
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. face — part of the head
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. squash — the sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. court — for sport
  21. root — of a plant
  22. net — for catching
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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