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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: fine · root · branch · press · wound · field · net · foot

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. field — farmland
  3. net — for catching
  4. root — the cause
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. field — for sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. field — a subject
  11. branch — a division
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. net — after costs
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fine — high quality
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. net — in sport
  24. foot — a measure

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