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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: tube · pitcher · bass · wake · dip · clip · branch · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — a division
  3. wake — a trail
  4. root — the cause
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. tube — the underground
  7. clip — to cut
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bass — low music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bass — the fish
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tube — a container
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. branch — of a bank

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