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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
468
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: mine · scale · spell · march · root · swing · trunk · stick

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. swing — music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. scale — in music
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — of a word
  15. march — the month
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spell — magic
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. root — the cause
  22. spell — letters
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. march — music

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