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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — the fruit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. root — of a word
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cell — a phone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. prune — to trim
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cell — in biology
  24. row — a quarrel

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