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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: root · wave · branch · content · pop · coach · present · net

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. root — of a word
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — there
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. net — in sport
  12. content — happy
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. net — after costs
  15. pop — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. root — of a plant
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. content — the amount
  21. root — the cause
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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