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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. season — of the year
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fork — in a road
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. object — to protest
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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