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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 120 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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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: stand · mine · bark · branch · rest · root · craft · fork

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. root — of a word
  7. craft — boats
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. branch — a division
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fork — in a road
  15. root — the cause
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rest — what's left

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