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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: shower · sharp · cue · ball · spell · chair · branch · root

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. branch — a division
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chair — a leader
  11. spell — letters
  12. root — of a word
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. shower — to wash
  16. root — the cause
  17. shower — rain
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spell — magic
  24. root — of a plant

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