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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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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 · racket · bore · kid · rule · wave · pit · root

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. root — of a word
  10. pit — in a race
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. branch — a division
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bore — to tire
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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