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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. tube — the underground
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. root — the cause
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. object — an aim
  15. bark — to shout
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — of a word
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. march — the month
  23. root — of a plant
  24. march — music

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