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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tube — a container
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — to go on
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. last — final
  18. root — of a word
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — of a plant
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stand — to bear
  24. last — finally

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