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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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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 · toast · cue · firm · lean · chip · jam · branch

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. firm — a company
  6. branch — a division
  7. toast — bread
  8. root — the cause
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. firm — steady
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chip — to eat
  13. root — of a plant
  14. firm — decided
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lean — thin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. root — of a word
  20. cue — a signal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cue — for pool

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