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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: calf · branch · track · root · net · ground · fan · arm

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — a position
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. net — after costs
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. root — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. net — for catching
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. track — a song
  18. ground — crushed
  19. track — a path
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — the earth
  22. branch — a division
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. root — of a word

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