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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. prune — to trim
  4. swing — to play on
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. snap — to click
  13. prune — to trim
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — of a word
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — of a plant
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. root — the cause

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