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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. root — the cause
  2. prune — to trim
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. rule — government
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. root — of a plant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — the season
  10. rule — a law
  11. net — in sport
  12. spring — of water
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. root — of a word
  20. lean — to bend
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — to trim
  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