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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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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: march · cap · branch · root · tear · chip · calf · stand

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. root — of a word
  5. march — the month
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. march — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. root — the cause
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. branch — a division
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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