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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — there
  6. root — the cause
  7. net — after costs
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. staff — a stick
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — all right
  15. staff — employees
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — of a word
  18. fine — high quality
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. net — in sport
  21. root — of a plant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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