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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. field — a subject
  4. file — a tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. field — farmland
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. field — for sport
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. prune — to trim
  24. root — of a plant

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