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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. root — the cause
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. band — a ring
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for golf
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. shower — to wash
  13. season — in sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. band — a music group
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — after costs
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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