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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. root — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stand — to bear
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — of a king
  15. bound — obliged
  16. squash — the sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. craft — boats
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. squash — to crush

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