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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · ruler · branch · root · season · pit · court · saw

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. root — of a plant
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — of the year
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. court — for sport
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. court — of a king
  16. net — in sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. season — in sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. court — of law
  22. root — the cause
  23. saw — the tool
  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