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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.

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: branch · jam · chair · court · track · march · root · rock

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rock — a stone
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. track — a path
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. root — of a plant
  7. track — a song
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. branch — a division
  10. track — to keep track
  11. root — the cause
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. court — of law
  14. root — of a word
  15. march — music
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rock — music
  20. court — for sport
  21. march — the month
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. court — of a king

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