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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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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: swing · bank · cap · ruler · cell · root · stand · branch

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — a hat
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stand — to bear
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bank — of a river
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cell — in biology
  16. root — the cause
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. cell — in a prison

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