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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitch — completely
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fork — in a road
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. root — of a word
  21. suit — to fit
  22. root — the cause
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. trunk — of a tree

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