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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: game · ruler · branch · face · foot · chair · pit · root

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chair — a leader
  3. root — of a word
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. branch — a division
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. root — the cause
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. branch — of a tree

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