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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: spell · firm · branch · chip · season · stock · fine · root

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. chip — to eat
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. root — of a plant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spell — letters
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. firm — decided
  11. spell — a short time
  12. root — the cause
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — steady
  15. spell — magic
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fine — all right
  18. root — of a word
  19. season — in sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chip — for betting
  23. branch — a division
  24. firm — a company

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