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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. board — a committee
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — a hint
  10. root — the cause
  11. board — to get on
  12. rest — a break
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. root — of a word
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — shares
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rest — what's left

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