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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: sharp · current · racket · stem · pop · branch · wound · root

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. branch — a division
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. root — the cause
  13. wound — an injury
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — clever
  16. current — electric
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pop — soda
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — of water
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. current — happening now

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