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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: cell · land · branch · root · net · bark · toast · temple

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. root — of a word
  2. land — a country
  3. root — of a plant
  4. land — ground
  5. root — the cause
  6. land — to come down
  7. branch — a division
  8. cell — in biology
  9. toast — bread
  10. net — after costs
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. net — for catching
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. net — in sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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