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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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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: root · court · branch · wake · ground · wind · foot · stand

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wind — moving air
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. root — of a word
  9. court — of law
  10. foot — a measure
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. root — of a plant
  14. court — for sport
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. court — of a king
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. branch — a division
  24. wind — to turn a key

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