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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.

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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: root · bark · pop · game · branch · field · snap · file

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pop — to visit
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bark — to shout
  7. root — the cause
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. root — of a word
  13. field — farmland
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. field — for sport
  18. pop — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. game — a match
  21. file — a tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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