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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — the cause
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — all right
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — a leader
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rock — music
  19. root — of a word
  20. game — a match
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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