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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. drill — a practice
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. capital — money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. drill — army training
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pit — in a race
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pit — a hole
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. charge — a price
  24. temple — a place of worship

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