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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fall — the season
  4. bank — for money
  5. land — ground
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. root — the cause
  15. land — a country
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — to come down
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. root — of a plant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fall — to drop
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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