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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tube — the underground
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. press — a publisher
  10. root — of a word
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — completely
  14. press — newspapers
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. press — to push
  18. tube — a container
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. degree — an amount
  23. swing — to play on
  24. root — of a plant

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