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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 116 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: craft · root · content · tube · branch · march · stick · staff

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. craft — a skill
  5. branch — a division
  6. march — music
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. root — the cause
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — a container
  12. content — happy
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tube — the underground
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. craft — boats
  17. march — the month
  18. staff — a stick
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. root — of a word
  22. content — the amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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