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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a path
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. deal — to handle
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chest — of your body
  10. root — the cause
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. sharp — clever
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. root — of a plant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. root — of a word
  22. track — to keep track
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. track — a song

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