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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. file — a tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bore — to tire
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — the sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bore — to drill
  16. file — a document
  17. sharp — clever
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stock — shares
  20. root — of a word
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bore — gave birth

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