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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: scale · branch · can · chip · shower · wake · pit · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — to eat
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chip — for betting
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — a division
  16. scale — in music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. shower — rain
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. can — to be able to
  24. scale — size or range

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