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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. root — of a word
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. root — the cause
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rule — government
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. scale — size or range
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. scale — in music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. root — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — a law

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