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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — a position
  4. net — after costs
  5. root — the cause
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. root — of a word
  10. net — for catching
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ground — crushed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ground — the earth

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