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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: roll · branch · chest · track · root · bulb · nail · swing

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chest — a box
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — the cause
  7. swing — to play on
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. root — of a word
  10. roll — a list
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chest — of your body
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. chest — of your body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. nail — for a hammer

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