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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: deal · leaves · net · root · trunk · racket · mine · branch

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mine — for digging
  7. net — after costs
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. root — of a word
  12. net — for catching
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. net — in sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. root — the cause
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. deal — a big deal

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