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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — a grade
  8. firm — steady
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — the cause
  12. rash — a series
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. root — of a word
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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