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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: hide · march · bass · game · bark · root · arm · branch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. root — the cause
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. root — of a word
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. branch — a division
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. game — wild animals
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. march — the month
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bass — low music

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