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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: board · pitcher · root · pop · branch · clip · track · staff

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. board — a committee
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. root — the cause
  12. track — to keep track
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — a division
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pop — soda
  20. clip — for paper
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. clip — a video

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