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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. scale — size or range
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — the cause
  5. cue — for pool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — of the year
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. root — of a plant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cue — a hint
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — in sport

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