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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 116 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: press · branch · rash · root · season · bass · board · key

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — to push
  7. board — to get on
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — of a plant
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rash — a series
  21. season — in sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. season — of the year
  24. board — a committee

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