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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 116 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: field · root · fine · pop · bark · calf · branch · mine

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. pop — soda
  4. branch — a division
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — of a word
  14. field — for sport
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pop — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fine — all right
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. calf — of the leg

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