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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · prune · bat · foot · swing · chair · root · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. branch — a division
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. root — of a word
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. prune — to trim
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hand — help
  11. root — the cause
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. root — of a plant
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — a leader
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. foot — part of the body

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