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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: fork · root · squash · branch · kid · bound · temple · mouse

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. root — of a word
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kid — to tease
  12. squash — the sport
  13. root — of a plant
  14. kid — child
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — in a road
  20. branch — a division
  21. root — the cause
  22. bound — tied together
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. squash — to crush

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