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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
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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: branch · plane · content · stock · chair · kick · rush · root

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. kick — in football
  3. root — the cause
  4. stock — shares
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. root — of a word
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. branch — a division
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stock — goods

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