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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: cue · rock · branch · season · cap · date · root · racket

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. root — of a word
  3. season — in sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — a division
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rock — music
  9. date — the fruit
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. season — of the year
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cue — a signal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cue — for pool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cue — a hint
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rock — a stone
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. root — the cause
  24. cap — a lid

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