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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ground — a position
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — crushed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — the earth
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — a trail
  16. season — of the year
  17. prune — to trim
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. season — in sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bowl — a football final

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