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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: firm · branch · club · root · rash · mouse · bat · game

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. club — for golf
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. game — wild animals
  9. branch — a division
  10. rash — a series
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. club — a group
  15. game — a match
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. root — the cause
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. firm — steady
  24. branch — of a tree

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