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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: toast · patient · branch · stem · hide · pitch · fork · root

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. root — the cause
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitch — completely
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — of a word
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fork — in a road
  15. branch — a division
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hide — animal skin

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