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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bass — the fish
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. last — finally
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — of a word
  8. charge — electricity
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. bass — low music
  12. charge — in control
  13. root — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — a price
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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