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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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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — tied together
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pit — a hole
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — in a race
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — certain
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fork — in a road
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of a car

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