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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: field · mug · root · branch · chest · mine · scale · can

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mug — a cup
  3. root — the cause
  4. mug — a face
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — a subject
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. field — for sport
  13. chest — of your body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. scale — in music
  16. branch — a division
  17. scale — size or range
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — farmland
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. branch — of a bank
  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