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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 124 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — the time now
  5. root — of a word
  6. date — the fruit
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — a gift
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rule — a law
  12. present — there
  13. can — to be able to
  14. root — the cause
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — to sink
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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