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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. root — of a plant
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. degree — from a university
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. net — after costs
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. land — to come down
  16. root — the cause
  17. perch — the fish
  18. degree — temperature
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. root — of a word
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. prune — to trim

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