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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. land — ground
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. land — to come down
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — a tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. clip — a video
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cap — of ice
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. firm — a company
  20. land — a country
  21. firm — steady
  22. clip — to cut
  23. firm — decided
  24. clip — for paper

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