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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. row — to paddle
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pop — soda
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. root — of a plant
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. prune — to trim
  12. root — of a word
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. object — to protest
  16. root — the cause
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — a thing
  19. stand — to bear
  20. content — the amount
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. row — a line
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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