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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. swing — music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wound — an injury

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