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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: cabinet · pop · branch · mouse · band · mark · root · spring

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a music group
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spring — the season
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. branch — a division
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — of water
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pop — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. band — a ring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. root — of a word
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pop — soda
  24. cabinet — ministers

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