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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: land · root · march · spell · fine · board · branch · hide

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. root — of a word
  3. land — a country
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — to come down
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — a division
  12. board — a committee
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. march — music
  20. spell — magic
  21. land — ground
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fine — high quality

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