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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · cabinet · row · root · club · foot · scale · mouse

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. row — a line
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. club — for dancing
  10. row — to paddle
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. branch — a division
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. club — for golf
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. scale — in music
  24. root — of a plant

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