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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. root — the cause
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. board — to get on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. board — a committee
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rush — hurry
  22. root — of a word
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bowl — to roll

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