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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. branch — a division
  8. pop — music
  9. root — of a word
  10. ground — a position
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hand — help
  14. root — the cause
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pit — in a race
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hand — part of the body

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