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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 124 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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. track — a path
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. firm — decided
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. track — a song
  15. firm — a company
  16. prune — to trim
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. firm — steady
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — to trim

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