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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — a lid
  4. court — of a king
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. court — for sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. root — of a word
  18. prune — to trim
  19. track — a path
  20. court — of law
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. trunk — of a tree

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