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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cue — a signal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. deal — to handle
  8. root — of a plant
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. capital — a city
  11. root — the cause
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. capital — money
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — a friend
  24. root — of a word

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