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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. prune — to trim
  6. net — in sport
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — of a word
  10. object — an aim
  11. spring — a coil
  12. object — a thing
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cap — of ice
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spring — the season
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. object — to protest
  19. spring — of water
  20. cap — a hat
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cap — a lid
  24. prune — the fruit

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