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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — the cause
  7. field — farmland
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. tube — a container
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. root — of a word
  13. rest — a break
  14. field — a subject
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — of water
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spring — a coil
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — for sport
  22. spring — the season
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — the underground

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