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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
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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: lean · season · field · root · branch · stick · cue · degree

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. degree — an amount
  3. season — in sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lean — thin
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cue — a hint
  12. field — for sport
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. branch — a division
  17. lean — to bend
  18. field — farmland
  19. degree — temperature
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. field — a subject
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — of the year

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