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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: branch · last · date · pitch · root · rule · game · wind

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wind — moving air
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. root — the cause
  12. rule — a law
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. root — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. last — finally
  23. wind — moving air
  24. root — of a word

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