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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: dip · branch · game · stock · bay · root · cap · scale

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. game — a match
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. game — wild animals
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. scale — size or range
  16. branch — a division
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — a hat
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bay — a horse colour

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