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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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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: bat · dip · fork · branch · club · bulb · root · mark

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. root — the cause
  3. branch — a division
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. club — for golf
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. club — for dancing
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. club — a group
  14. mark — a trace
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — of a bank

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