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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a music group
  8. root — the cause
  9. cap — of ice
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bark — to shout
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. band — a ring
  20. ground — a position
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. object — an aim
  23. cap — a hat
  24. root — of a word

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