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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · date · toast · root · object · stock · pass · bat

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — of a word
  4. object — an aim
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stock — goods
  7. root — of a plant
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. branch — a division
  11. stock — shares
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. date — the fruit
  14. object — a thing
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pass — a permit
  17. toast — bread
  18. object — to protest
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. root — the cause
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — to spend time

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