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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: leaves · scale · root · mark · last · bear · stand · branch

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. last — final
  6. stand — to bear
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. branch — a division
  10. mark — a grade
  11. last — finally
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. scale — in music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. root — of a plant
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — of a word
  22. mark — a trace
  23. root — the cause
  24. bear — the animal

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