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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: object · pop · branch · cell · wound · root · scale · ground

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. object — an aim
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cell — in biology
  9. scale — size or range
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pop — soda
  14. object — to protest
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. object — a thing
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — a position
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ground — the earth
  22. scale — in music
  23. branch — a division
  24. pop — music

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