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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 120 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: stand · track · coach · mark · calf · root · branch · prune

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. track — a path
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mark — a trace
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a song
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mark — a grade

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