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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: scale · root · season · leaves · branch · kid · ground · mug

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mug — a face
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. root — the cause
  13. season — in sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. branch — a division
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mug — to rob
  21. kid — child
  22. season — of the year
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mug — a cup

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