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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. game — a match
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — to breed
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. root — of a word
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rest — a break
  15. cold — an illness
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cue — a signal

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