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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: root · game · rash · fork · mark · march · rest · branch

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. march — the month
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rash — a series
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. root — the cause
  20. branch — a division
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rest — a break

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