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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. root — the cause
  3. bore — to tire
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fine — all right
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. branch — a division
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bore — to drill
  19. root — of a word
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. prune — to trim

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