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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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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. staff — employees
  8. content — happy
  9. drill — army training
  10. root — the cause
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — to paddle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — the amount
  17. staff — a stick
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rest — a break
  24. prune — to trim

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