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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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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. root — of a word
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. last — final
  16. mark — a grade
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. kick — in football
  22. rock — music
  23. march — music
  24. chip — for betting

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