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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
468
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 · bear · march · jam · rock · bay · root · file

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. root — of a plant
  11. march — the month
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. march — music
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. root — the cause
  19. march — the month
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — music
  23. file — a tool
  24. jam — in traffic

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