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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.

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: branch · racket · saw · content · roll · calf · root · ground

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. roll — a list
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. content — the amount
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ground — a position
  10. roll — a cake
  11. root — of a word
  12. saw — the tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ground — the earth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. branch — a division
  21. ground — crushed
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — the cause

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