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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. swing — to play on
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. swing — in golf
  11. field — for sport
  12. root — of a word
  13. field — a subject
  14. swing — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. vault — a safe
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. leaves — of a tree

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