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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. root — the cause
  10. chip — to eat
  11. present — a gift
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. root — of a plant
  14. present — there
  15. root — of a word
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chip — for betting
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rock — music
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. present — the time now

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