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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: shower · root · degree · branch · tube · band · track · fork

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — in a road
  3. track — a song
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. degree — from a university
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. root — of a word
  8. degree — an amount
  9. root — of a plant
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. track — to keep track
  13. band — a ring
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. band — a music group
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. branch — a division
  19. tube — the underground
  20. root — the cause
  21. shower — rain
  22. tube — a container
  23. shower — to wash
  24. track — a path

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