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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — the cause
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pit — a hole
  7. club — a group
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — final
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — finally
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitch — completely
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. root — of a word
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. club — for golf
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. last — to go on

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