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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: mouse · season · tube · suit · branch · root · content · safe

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. suit — clothes
  9. branch — a division
  10. season — of the year
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. content — happy
  16. root — the cause
  17. tube — the underground
  18. content — the amount
  19. season — in sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mouse — the animal
  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