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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 116 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: row · root · hide · capital · tube · branch · cue · mouse

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. branch — a division
  3. cue — for pool
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cue — a hint
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. root — of a word
  24. row — to paddle

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