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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: branch · stand · clip · degree · deal · root · track · board

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. degree — temperature
  7. root — the cause
  8. stand — to bear
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. degree — an amount
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. branch — a division
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. clip — a video
  22. degree — from a university
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. track — to keep track

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