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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: rest · foot · craft · root · ground · chair · branch · spell

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. ground — a position
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. spell — magic
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chair — a leader
  8. craft — a skill
  9. root — of a plant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. root — of a word
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — a division
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spell — a short time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. craft — boats
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. spell — letters
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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