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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: chair · root · roll · date · branch · mark · cabinet · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. root — the cause
  6. roll — a list
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pound — a weight
  13. roll — a cake
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. root — of a plant
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. branch — a division
  18. date — the fruit
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. root — of a word

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